Influenza

• So far this year, Australia has had more than 32,000 lab-confirmed cases of the flu and 32 deaths.
• Getting a flu vaccine is the best way to protect against getting the flu.
• Below you’ll find everything you need to know about the 2023 flu vaccine.

What are the different types of flu?

• There are two main types of influenza: influenza A and influenza B.
• On the surface of the influenza virus there are two main proteins, the hemagglutinin (HA or H) and neuraminidase (NA or N).
• Different strains are named after their versions of the H and N proteins, as in H1N1 or “swine flu”.

What strains does this year’s flu shot protect against?

Modern flu vaccines typically protect against four strains. For this year’s vaccine, the committee has recommended it includes:
• The name is derived from the virus type (A or B)/the place it was first isolated/strain number/year isolated (virus subtype).
• This year’s vaccine includes an influenza B isolated from Austria in 2021 (Victoria lineage) and an influenza B isolated in Phuket in 2013 (Yamagata lineage).

Who should get a flu shot?

Health authorities recommend everyone aged six months of age or over should get the flu vaccine every year. Some groups are at greater risk of significant disease from the flu and can access the flu vaccine for free. This includes:


Read more:
Should I get the flu shot if I'm pregnant?

How can I get it?

You can get a flu shot from your local general practice or pharmacy. Or you may have an opportunity to get vaccinated at your workplace if your employer supplies it. While the vaccine is free for those in the above groups, there can be a consultation or administration fee, depending on where you get your vaccine. If you aren’t eligible for a free vaccine, it usually costs around A$20-$30.

Are there different options?

• However there is also a cell-based immunisation for people who don’t want a vaccine made in eggs.
• When vaccines are grown in eggs, sometimes the virus can change and this might affect the level of protection.
• The cell-based vaccine isn’t funded so patients will pay around $40 for a private prescription.

How well do they work?

The vaccine’s effectiveness depends on how well the strains in the vaccine match those circulating. It generally reduces the chance of being admitted to hospital with influenza by 30-60%.

Read more:
Why can you still get influenza if you've had a flu shot?

What are the side effects?

• When people get a flu-like illness after the vaccine, it can be due to mild effects we sometimes see after vaccination, such as headaches, tiredness or some aches and pains.
• Alternatively, symptoms after getting a flu shot may be due to another respiratory virus such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) that circulates in winter.

When’s the best time to get your flu shot?

The vaccine provides peak protection around three to four months after you get it. The peak of the flu season is usually between June and September, however this changes every year and can vary in different parts of the country. Given this, the best time to get the vaccine is usually around late April or early May. So if you haven’t already, now would be a good time to get it.

• Top 5 Pharma – In April 2023, the Company entered a new research collaboration with a top 5 pharmaceutical company to express a vaccine antigen from C1 for human health.
• In the first quarter of 2023, the Company entered into a new research collaboration with a biotech company for a fully funded proof-of-concept project to express an enzyme for pharmaceutical applications.
• G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, decreased by 10.6% to approximately $1,480,000 compared to $1,656,000 for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.
• Other Income: Other income for the quarter ended March 31, 2023 was from the sale of the equity interest in Alphazyme, LLC.

• NEW YORK, May 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WellNow Urgent Care , one of the country's fastest-growing urgent care providers, announced that it will no longer be in network with EmblemHealth.
• Starting Saturday, May 6, this change will affect all WellNow Urgent Care clinics in the state of New York.
• "WellNow Urgent Care clinics have worked tirelessly to provide convenient and essential care to our patients in the state of New York largely through extended hours," said John Radford, M.D., President at WellNow Urgent Care.
• WellNow Urgent Care locations provide timely treatments for ailments, such as sprains, burns, lacerations, colds, flu and allergies, as well as on-site x-rays, lab testing and physicals.

• Molekule and Aura technologies include the largest range of proprietary and patented, FDA-cleared air purification devices, which have been proven to destroy SARS-CoV-2, RSV, H1N1 flu virus, VOCs, allergens, mold and many other pollutants.
• Globally, Aura is also expanding across several schools and districts in Israel and Hong Kong.
• Jason DiBona, Chief Executive Officer of Molekule, noted, “Both Molekule and Aura provide an instantly deployable air quality and purification solution for the education sector, which includes software to enable users to assess and mitigate air quality across numerous devices.
• Aura’s software capabilities enable centralized monitoring and remote management of installed units to ensure indoor air safety and quality.